The Diary of Anne Frank, Albert Hackett and Francis Goodrich's
dramatization of Anne Frank's memoirs of her years in hiding from the Nazi's during
World War II, receives a respectful, generally well-acted production at Renton Civic
Theatre. Artistic director Bill Huls handles the material with perhaps a bit too
much reverence, and his pacing of the proceedings could be better. Yet
the Hackett/Goodrich script remains solid, finding humor and inspiration within
the bleak scenario.

Framed as a flashback, the Pulitzer Prize winning play begins with Anne's father,
Otto Frank, returning to the family's hiding place in the attic of his former business
in Amsterdam, where he discovers his younger daughter Anne's diary. The book
recounts the period from July 1942 to August 1944 during which Otto and Anne,
Otto's wife Edith, and Anne's elder sister Margot, along with their acquaintances Mr. and
Mrs. Van Daan, their son Peter, and a dentist named Mr. Dussel (the Van Daans and
Dussel were pseudonyms) were hidden by his business associates Miep and Mr. Kraler.
Anne grows into young womanhood in the course of the story, struggling in her
relationship with her mother, a crush on Peter, and having to deal with crotchety
roommate Dussel. The Van Daan parents are a source of additional drama, with Mrs.
Van Daan's vanity and flirtatious behavior and Mr. Van Daan's poaching of the shared
food rations intensifying the drama of the attic dwellers' efforts to keep from being
discovered.

In the title role, Audrey Montague is warmly believable and likable as Anne, and
need only slow down her occasional tendency to speed up her dialogue to be a complete
success in the role. In the showy roles of the Van Daans, John Kelleher and Deya
Ozburn dominate the production. Ozburn totally convinces as a woman who goes into
hysterics when her husband sells her prized mink coat, and Kelleher is deeply moving
when he realizes the selfishness of stealing the food rations for himself. Scott
Garrett seems far too young, callow and all-American to capture the soft-spoken old
world maturity of Otto Frank, though Yvette Zaepfel fares rather well as the
solemn Mrs. Frank. Moshe Henderson pairs well with Montague as Peter Frank, and Emily
Fortuna is quietly forceful as Margot.

Mad Dog Productions creates a convincing-looking hiding place set, although the
depth of the RCT stage makes it look less claustrophobic than one might wish.
Samantha Armitage's costume designs seem authentic to the period. A special hand
to cast member Tinker, a charming, well-behaved cat who still managed to draw focus
in every scene which he appeared in.

The Diary of Anne Frank runs through April 27, 2013 at Renton Civic
Theatre, 507 S. 3rd Street in Renton, Washington. For more info go to
www.rentoncivictheatre.org.